[blparent] use of equipment and devices for blind parrents

[Steve Jacobson]

Jesper,

First, there is a lot of variation in what works for people, and any advice you get you will need to try to filter for your situation.  Even the personality of your 
little one will affect what works.  Others here will have to comment on what to do with a new-born, as we adopted our kids so they were a few months old.  
Here are a few things to consider, though, for starters.

First, don't under-estimate your little one.  Babies can start moving around sooner than you expect, and if they really want something, they will surprise you 
as to what they might do to get there.  If a baby has decided to get somewhere, rolling over until they get there is not out of the question.  Therefore, don't 
wait until you are aware of a baby crawling to think about movement.

Think about what is in reach on the floor and how you go about cleaning.  Babies have a gendency to put anything they can reach into their mouths.  
You probably already know this, but it can't be overstated.  This tendency can last for several years.  Using a play pen or Pack 'n' Play or other product to 
limit movement helps a lot, but of course, babies need to move around and they need to see what is happening as well, so there will likely be times when 
you will want them to be able to move around in time.

I used a back pack for both of our kids and it worked very well.  The more expensive backpacks distribute the weight better than the cheaper ones and 
they even can provide a little extra storage for a couple of diapers or toys for example.  They are very adjustable so you can get the backpack positioned 
at the best place on your back.  One of my kids just loved being in the backpack while the second one got sick of it a good bit sooner.  Obviously, a 
backpack isn't a good idea until the neck muscles have developed so that the little one has very good control of their head, unless it has a facility to 
reliably protect the head.  Our kids were old enough so that this was not an issue..  

We also used a stroller that had a handle that allowed it to be pulled.  This allowed me to pull the stroller and still use my cane.  This may not seem natural 
to some of your sighted friends as they tend to not like the idea of not seeing their baby without looking back.  For us, it really doesn't matter as much, 
since we will be depending upon our hearing and we can generally hear behind us as well as in front of us.  The ability to use a cane or a dog more easily 
is a real plus.

We used a changing table for our little ones.  For one thing, it puts the little one at a hight where one can remain standing rather than needing to get down 
on the floor.  However, it is a good idea to use the safety belts usually included on these tables, and using a mat on the floor does eliminate any chance of 
falling.  Therefore, this worked for us but I would not consider it essential unless you have physical problems that might make getting down on the floor 
difficult.  Changing tables usually have a shelf or two that can be nice for convenient storage of diapers and cleaning products.

Finally, I can't emphasize too much that you need to take advice and filter it.  As blind parents, we do some things differently than would sighted parents, 
and some of them just can't imagine how it works.  You will certainly be questioned about how you will know if your baby puts something into his or her 
mouth.  First, thinking about the environment and checking it out ahead of time will reduce the chances for this a great deal.  But you will also get used to 
the sounds that your baby makes and will detect quickly if something does go into the mouth.  This was one of the issues that the adoption agency we 
worked with was most concerned about.  You will really learn to identify a lot of your baby's behavior by noticing changes in their patterns.  If a baby 
suddenly is quite and is breathing rapidly indicating they are not sleeping, there is a good chance they are intent upon something that may not be in their 
best interest.

This is probably enough to get you started, and I'm sure others will chime in as well.  Good luck, and I hope that you get some helpful answers here.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:21:55 +0200, Jesper Holten via blparent wrote:

>Dear all.
>I and my wife are expecting our baby in December and have started
>preparing for the addition to our Family. We are both completely blind
>and we would like to get input on what some of you have been buying,
>when it comes to equipment and devices games, changes to the house
>etc?
>1. We will be living in a house with a ground floor and a first floor
>containing bedrooms and the master bathroom. And we plan to install a
>gate at the staircase later when the Little one starts to move around
>on his own. Changing dibers will most likely happen in the bathroom
>but what kind of setup have you been using?
>2. We are planning to use a baby carrier for longer transports maybe a
>backpack. We are also consdering a baby sling but would like input on
>what type. THere has been some concerns about the use of baby slings
>especially for newborns, and we would like som input on this as well.
>3. If you have ideas on any physical changes we should consider making
>or ways to prepare for the baby all suggestions are welcome.

>4. We will get consultancy from a professional at the Institute for
>the  Blind here in Denmark
>Here in Denmark there are a few totally blind couples but we imagine
>that there are a larger Group in the US where both parrents are blind.
>Thank you in advance,
>Best regards, Jesper

>_______________________________________________
>blparent mailing list
>blparent at nfbnet.org
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blparent:
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/steve.jacobson%40visi.com